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Thursday, March 26, 2009
Chancellor pushes plan for tuition hike By Rory Linnane THE DAILY CARDINAL
KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Leia Ferrari, founder of the Wisconsin Coalition for Domestic Partner Benefits, helps Anthony Morgan find his representative during the Day of Action at Library Mall Wednesday.
Day of Action seeks to protect staff By Beth Pickhard THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Wisconsin Coalition for Domestic Partner Benefits held a Day of Action Wednesday at Library Mall to encourage students to actively support partner benefits for Wisconsin employees. Claire Lempke, Associated Students of Madison media specialist, said ASM promoted the event to support the ASM program called Quality and Accessible Education. “One of ASM’s goals is to make education better on campus in whatever way we can possible,” she said. According to Lempke, UWMadison professors and staff members are considered state employ-
Feb. unemployment rises in 71 counties According to unemployment data released by the Department of Workforce Development Wednesday, 71 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties saw increases in unemployment between January and February. Dane County still has the lowest unemployment rate, which rose from 4.9 percent in January to 5.5 in February. Madison’s unemployment rate increased from 4.4 to 5 percent, but is still the lowest in Wisconsin cities. The city of Beloit has the state’s highest unemployment rate of 16.9 percent, which has more than doubled from last year’s rate of 8.1. In terms of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, the Janesville MSA has the highest rate of 13 percent. DWD Secretary Roberta Gassman said in a statement she hopes funds from the federal stimulus bill will help reverse this trend of rising unemployment. Wisconsin’s unemployment rate, which has remained below the national average, rose to 8.8 percent in February and is closing in on the national rate of 8.9 percent.
ees. She said the lack of domestic partner benefits is detrimental to UW-Madison because it is harder to attract and keep employees without the benefits being provided. “We’ve been noticing a huge trend of professors leaving to go to places where they can receive those benefits,” she said. Day of Action Coordinator Leia Ferrari said many professors leave UW-Madison because Wisconsin state employees are at a disadvantage compared to employees from other schools. “Wisconsin is the only Big Ten school that doesn’t have domestic partner benefits,” she said. Event coordinators said they hoped the event will generate support for the
benefits to be included in the 2009 state budget. Students made phone calls and emails throughout the day to voice their opinions to Wisconsin representatives. UW-Madison student Zechariah Ruffin said she participated in the event because she felt domestic partner benefits are a part of a serious equality issue that needs to be solved. ASM Academic Affairs Chair Chris Tiernan said the event was a great way to get students involved in accomplishing ASM’s overall goal to gain domestic partner benefits. “We’re losing a lot of our really great professors, so this is a way that we identified that we could change what’s going on,” he said.
UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin reiterated her new initiative for increasing tuition and financial aid to students, faculty and staff in a news conference Wednesday at Bascom Hall. If passed by the UW System Board of Regents, Martin’s Madison Initiative for Undergraduates would result in a possible $40 million increase to tuition and financial aid over the next four years. Martin said she hopes her plan will better prepare students for the current state of the economy. “This has to be addressed now, not despite the terrible economic circumstances … but because of them,” she said. She also emphasized that it is not part of the university’s response to looming budget cuts. Dean of Students Lori Berquam said the plan’s strength comes from its clear focus. “It’s very strategic and very specific, so it’s not to fill any shortfall budget-wise,” she said. If passed, the plan will allocate half its funding to undergraduate instructional support. Martin said the plan aims to increase availability and breadth
of courses, give students more opportunities to interact with faculty, enhance student services and invest in new learning strategies. The other half of funds raised for the initiative would go toward financial gift aid. In the Big Ten conference, UW-Madison currently offers the least amount of financial aid to its students. Susan Fischer, Student Financial Aid director, said many students qualify for financial aid but do not receive it. “It won’t fix it completely but it will be a tremendous step,” she said. To fund the initiative, a supplemental tuition charge would last four years at $250 per year for in-state students and $750 per year for out-of-state students. The plan calls for private donations to match every dollar in tuition increase. Martin said she sees this initiative as part of a change in the funding model for the university. “We’re moving to an era where we rely more heavily on what we can raise privately, and on those students and families who can afford it,” Martin said. Martin will hold a second forum for more feedback Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Room 19 of Ingraham Hall.
Student veterans share experiences after returning from service By Andrea Carlson THE DAILY CARDINAL
A panel sponsored by the Undergraduate History Association Wednesday allowed UW-Madison student veterans to share their experiences with others about their transition from the service to school. Veterans Joe Dillenburg, Gerald Kapinos and Carol Warden answered questions from the audience about army, air force and navy life, and how it affected their outlooks on life. “It gives you a lot of insight into what is important,” Kapinos, who is also president of the Vets for Vets Association, said. “It helps you to learn discipline and to get along with other people.” Dillenburg emphasized the benefits of serving in the army, such as a more mature mindset. “I remember watching these 18-, 19-, 20-year-old kids that came and seeing how quickly they grew up,” he said. Warden commented on some
of the more difficult contrasts between being in the Navy and being a student. “During the Navy you have a lot of on-the-job training, but now you have research,” he said. “It’s different when you learn something and do it rather than research something and then write about it.” Another difficult aspect the veterans encountered was remembering how to be a civilian again and connecting with peers. Dillenburg in particular suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after his return to the United States, which at times made it hard for him to concentrate in class. “I was the one sitting in the front row in classes, not because I was really interested, but because I had to block out everyone else who was there,” Dillenburg said. “I was used to having my senses keyed up to what was around me, so anytime someone moved or made a noise, I would want
to look.” When asked what advice they had for incoming student veterans, Warden encouraged them to join Vets For Vets while Kapinos advised them to get involved with other stu-
dents and campus organizations. “Don’t isolate yourselves with other vets. A big part of the process is to get yourself out there and talk to people,” Kapinos said.
LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
A group of student veterans confessed the difficulties of returning back to school at a discussion in Humanities Wednesday.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”